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46
Diarrhceal diseases were included in three separate columns—
Epidemic Diarrhoea, Enteritis and Gastritis. Last year, following
on the adoption of the International List of Causes of Death, the
heading was altered to Diarrhoea and Enteritis. The age periods
were also altered last year. Formerly, the tables were divided into
the columns under 1 year and 1—5 years; last year the columns
were under 1 year, 1—2 years and 2— 5 years.
Throughout the kingdom it is necessary to go back to 1899
to find a year with a higher total number of deaths from Diarrhoea
and Enteritis, but in Acton 80 deaths of infants under one year
occurred in 1906 from Diarrhceal diseases. Last year, out of the
total number of deaths from Diarrhoea and Enteritis, 68 were of
children under 12 months.
Summer Diarrhoea is now believed by many authorities to be
an infectious disease capable of spreading from the sick to the
healthy. Undoubtedly, multiple cases do occur in houses and
families. Last year in Acton there was no multiple death in
any houses, but it was found that the fatal case investigated had
been preceded or followed by the occurrence of Diarrhoea in
other members of the family. Multiple attacks were known to
have occurred in 64 houses.
Whether summer Diarrhoea is produced by one definite
micro-organism, or is an illness conditioned by several allied bacilli
is doubtful; if the latter theory be true, then all these organisms
are capable of exciting acute Diarrhoea in infants and of causing a
disease which pursues a very definite cause.
A few years ago it was considered to be due to a microorganism
which resided in the superficial layers of the earth.
The micro-organism was supposed to have the power of leaving
the soil, to be carried in by the air, gain access to food and to
be introduced into the human body.